The present invention relates to a card connector for connecting a memory card to a computerized product, and more particularly to a card connector that ensures good contact of a memory card inserted therein with terminals in the connector, and therefore provides reliable transmission of electrical signals between the memory card and a computerized product.
To facilitate data processing, most computer-related products are provided with a card connector for a memory card to connect thereto, so that data concerning each product may be stored in or retrieved from the memory card via the card connector. A computerized product using a memory card as a main memory thereof usually has a small volume and is portable, and is frequently operated while being held with one hand. Thus, the product is more or less subject to vibration during its operation. When the vibration is large enough to cause an instantaneous separation of the memory card from terminals in the card connector, events such as incorrect retrieval of data or failed transmission of data would occur. In fact, the memory card inserted in the card connector does not frequently vibrate seriously when the memory card is subjected to an external force. However, the separation of the memory card from any one of the terminals in the card connector would result in incorrect or failed transmission of data.
It is possible to increase the vibration resistance of the card connector by slightly increasing the elastic strength of the terminals and accordingly the pressing force applied by the terminals on the memory card. However, while the increased elastic strength of the terminals in the card connector provides the connector with enhanced electric performance, it also increases the difficulty in inserting and ejecting the memory card into and out of the card connector. What is worse is the increased elastic strength of the terminals speeds up wearing of contacts on the memory card and causes damage to the same. As a result, there is only very limited value in increasing electric performance of the card connector by changing the elastic strength of the terminals thereof.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a card connector that ensures good contact of a memory card inserted therein with every terminals of the card connector even in a vibrating environment, so that a reliable transmission of electric signals to and from the memory card is ensured.
To achieve the above and other objects, the card connector of the present invention includes a plurality of terminals, each of which has an inner contacting end provided with serially arranged contacts, so that the memory card inserted into the card connector is in contact with each terminal at multiple points. When the memory card vibrates and its inner end in the card connector shifts up or down, it will still contact with at least one of these contacts on the terminals to ensure stable transmission of electric signals via the card connector.
The contacts serially arranged on each terminal of the card connector of the present invention have tops at slightly different heights that gradually increase from outer side toward inner side of the card connector, so that the memory card inserted in the card connector under a normal working condition would touch all the contacts on each terminal at the same time.
The card connector of the present invention is also provided at a top of its casing with at least two elastic restraining legs that apply a restraining force on the memory card inserted in the connector while provide good damping effect, so that a vibration amplitude of the memory card caused by an external force may be reduced to prevent separation of the memory card from the contacts of the terminals of the card connector.